Springfield in 2007

The year in review, in the words of people who made news

In the capital city, the more things change, the more
they stay the same. At Illinois Times, we started 2007 with a look at racial issues in
Springfield; we pretty much ended on the same note.

Expect more of the same
in 2008 as we mark a sad anniversary of a dark chapter in
Springfield’s history, the 1908 race riot.

We had a city election and saw the City Council
emerge with a Republican majority. But when it comes to issues like trash
pickup, street maintenance, and housing, it’s hard to put a party
label on the right answers.

We lost out on the premiere of The Simpsons Movie, but the movie
wasn’t that good and we know that we’re blessed with many local
cartoonlike characters to keep us entertained.

Our daily newspaper changed hands, and it’s
shed some old friends from the masthead, but the staff of the State Journal-Register continues
to labor on, producing one of the state’s best newspapers.

National and international issues touch us. The wars
continue without an end in sight; we’re in the throes of a
presidential race that’s seen our junior senator, an obscure state
legislator when he first made the cover of Illinois
Times back in 2004, emerge as a leading
contender.

Barack Obama may be our next shining hope — or
not — but we’ll always have Abraham Lincoln, who still manages
to make news 142 years after his passing. FOR A BETTER CITY“I want my city to be so much better, because
it has so much
potential.” — Kim Moore,
co-founder, The Network [“Alone in a crowd,” Jan. 4] Young black professionals expressed their discontent
with Springfield, a place, they say, where getting ahead is more about
which prominent white family you’re born into than about individual
merit. The problem is that in Springfield, a steppingstone kind of town for
twenty- and thirtysomethings that has seen its share of problems when it
comes to race, it’s critical that the city attract and retain
intelligent young minorities to participate in racial healing — but
making Springfield a better place for African-American professionals, Moore
and others agreed, has to start with them. SMOKE OUT “We were kind of expecting the worst, and
luckily that didn’t end up coming about.” — Kelly Pedigo, manager of Nitwhits [“Inconclusive
evidence,” Jan. 11] Commerce in Springfield didn’t collapse, as
many opponents to the citywide smoking ban, which went into effect in the
fall of 2006, had predicted. A few bars did go out of business —
it’s a tough business, after all — but most weathered the storm
and a few even reported stronger-than-expected sales within the first few
months of the restriction. In July, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a statewide
public-smoking prohibition, the Smoke Free Illinois Act, which goes into
effect on Jan. 1. MAYOR POPULARITY“We see too many examples of when the current
administration is not being open, is doing things behind closed doors, is
not sharing information with the public or the aldermen to help them with
the issues that they have interest in.” —
Bruce Strom, former Ward 10 alderman and mayoral candidate [“Davlin
vs. Strom,” Feb. 8] Throughout his campaign for mayor of Springfield,
Republican Strom attempted to paint the administration of the incumbent
mayor, Tim Davlin, as secretive and inaccessible. Voters didn’t agree
— or didn’t mind. Earning close to 60 percent of the vote,
Davlin handily won a second term. His Democratic colleagues weren’t
as lucky. Republicans wrested two seats from Democrats on the officially
nonpartisan City Council, putting the mayor’s party in the minority.
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS“They were looking to take my life. If you take
my life, you take my son’s life, you take my daughter’s life.
What do that leave me? How can they give me that back?” — Larry Washington, who
claims that someone planted the half-kilo of cocaine found in his home by
law-enforcement officers [“Springfield’s worst
nightmare,” Feb. 15] Larry Washington, a former high-ranking member of the
notorious Chicago-based Vice Lords gang, lived in Springfield for 14 years
without ever facing any narcotics charges — yet, in March 2005,
Springfield police raided his home and discovered a substantial amount of
cocaine. Steadfastly claiming that he had been set up, Washington was
jailed, his bond set at $1.2 million, facing a possible 100-year sentence.
Charges against him were eventually dropped when his attorney requested
further testing on drug residue allegedly found in his trash. The results
of those tests turned up negative. A month after our story ran, Washington
filed suit in federal court against six SPD officers, including former
detectives Jim Graham and Paul Carpenter, who had already been fired by the
department. TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW“The hardest part has been watching her
deteriorate.” — Rock Haley,
husband [“A pound of cure,” March 15] RockHaley, age 70, tried to obtain a state medical card for his wife,
Edna, who is unable to work because she has a rare muscle disease. The
Haleys and similar families hoped that relief would come with the passage
of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s proposal for universal healthcare, Illinois
Covered. The Legislature rejected the governor’s proposed method of
financing the initiative, a $6 billion tax on gross business receipts.
They’re still cleaning up the messy aftermath: Blagojevich has since
sued House Speaker Michael Madigan, has sliced $463 million worth of
legislator initiatives from a bipartisan state budget, and is pursuing
implementation of his health plan by requesting the approval of the Joint
Commission on Administrative Rules to adjust the eligibility requirements
of existing state health-care programs. THE NEWS IS THE NEWS“We’re not going to speculate on what
they’re going to have us do. What I’ve been discouraging people
from doing is looking at what they’ve done other places and
extrapolating ‘This is what it is going to mean here,’ because
we’re a quite different newspaper than they usually acquire.” — Sue Schmitt, former publisher, State Journal-Register [“Red
all over,” March 22]Illinois’ oldest newspaper has been on quite a
tear this year. In the spring, Schmitt seemed upbeat about her new bosses,
GateHouse Media Inc., which officially took over the paper in April. Eight
months later, she and two other names from the top of the paper’s
masthead, those of managing editor Robert Pope and editor Barry Locher,
were old news — they resigned. Aside from their departures, the paper
bought out 16 employees and laid off others. On the upside, the SJ-R won 23 Illinois
Press Association awards, beefed up its Web site, and expanded specialty
publications. REMEMBER WHEN?“I’m too old to have an answer now, but
I’m old enough to remember when things worked better.” —Former Ward 10 alderman and former Sangamon County Republican
Party Chairman Irv Smith [“Party animal,” April 19]When a legend like Irv Smith retires from political
life, the occasion demands documentation. Illinois
Times sat Smith down for an in-depth interview
— four, actually — in which he waxed nostalgic about growing up
in the Cabbage Patch, teaching at a predominantly black school, and
integrating the YMCA, plus how much easier life was before that pesky Rutan ruling ruined
everything.

WHEN PIGS FLY“One particular individual came up to us and
said, ‘We have nothing against you and Sandy; you’re wonderful
neighbors. We just don’t want the pigs.’ Well, that’s
being against me and Sandy. When you’re against the pigs,
you’re against Sandy and me.” —
Bob Young, farmer [“Raising a stink,” May 17] A proposed hog-fattening facility on what was once a
family farm inflamed neighbors in Buckhart. The neighbors filed suit
against would-be pork producers Bob and Sandy Young and on May 30 won a
preliminary injunction that stalled construction on the project. While
awaiting a decision from the appellate court, the Youngs are left with a
partially completed pit. Though it’s meant to be used to collect hog
excrement, a little imagination could turn it into a swimming pool,
couldn’t it? “Bob and Sandy may choose to swim laps in their
new pool, but I don’t see it being opened to the community, for
liability reasons,” says their attorney, Thomas Immel. CAMP LINCOLN LIBRARY“We have to weigh ourselves between trying to
be compassionate and trying to take care of the needs and making sure we
have a safe environment around our library.”— Tim Davlin, Springfield
mayor [“Out of sight,” June 7] The city’s community-relations director, Sandy
Robinson, explained: There was the issue of the homeless people who sleep
outside Lincoln Library, and then there was “the stuff.”
Several attempts were made to prohibit homeless folks from setting up camp
at the library, but city officials said they didn’t feel comfortable
going that route until they came up with a place for them to leave their
belongings during the day. The first solution involved introducing a
portable storage facility in June. Two months later, the City Council
adopted an ordinance to outlaw panhandling downtown, and in November
camping at the municipal complex, including the library, was banned
altogether. NEW VOICE, OLD CONCERNS“Not one time did I inject racism into this. I
don’t think I ever said anything about the west side. At all times,
my concern was for the safety of the individuals in the church.”— Ward 2 Ald. Gail
Simpson [“A matter of perspective,” July 12]When a 20-year-old suspect being chased by
Springfield police sought sanctuary in the Abundant Faith Christian Center,
officers continued pursuit, disrupting the church service and Tasering the
suspect before leading him out in handcuffs. At a press conference staged
just after a meeting between Pastor Jerry Doss and Police Chief Ralph
Caldwell, Doss criticized the SPD’s handling of the incident, saying
that the situation would have been handled differently if it had taken
place in a church on the city’s west side. Simpson — as a
member of both Abundant Faith and the City Council — had arranged the
meeting. However, in an interview with Illinois
Times she distanced herself from
Doss’ comments.

SISTERS ARE DOIN’ IT FOR OTHERS“There is a kind of environmental apartheid we
practice, so if our lead and other metals can be smelted in a place where
people are poor and don’t have the power to fight the companies,
it’s OK. But it’s not. Those families have the same hopes and
dreams for their children as we have for ours here in Springfield.” — Sister Beth Murphy, former communications
coordinator for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield [“Sisters to the
rescue,” Aug. 2]. This summer, Beth Murphy and her fellow sisters from
Springfield and Peru shared the story of La Oroya — the site of Doe
Run Peru, a lead smelter affiliated with St. Louis-based Doe Run Resources
Corp. Doe Run Peru has been accused of spewing lead and other toxins into
the village for nearly a decade, and though the company claimed that it has
continuously improved local conditions the sisters argued that the
area’s children continue to display blood-lead levels five times
higher than the recommended limit.

NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE “Everybody was sorry that she had a problem in
the family, and everybody was sorry she was burned, but nobody wanted her
to talk about that episode. There were people who wanted her to just leave
this alone. The damage had been done.” —Don Irvin, former Jefferson
County state’s attorney, explaining why he chose not to prosecute Ike
and Mike Mahmood for trying to kill Ike’s daughter Aidah
[“Twice burned,” Aug. 16]A crime committed in 1972 stirred readers when it
appeared on our cover. “Twice burned” told the story of Aidah
Mahmood, just 15 years old when her father and uncle doused her with
gasoline and set her afire as she slept. She survived, but her relatives
were never charged with a crime. A Mount Vernon detective recently reopened
the case but couldn’t make arrests because the statute of limitations
on attempted murder had expired.A CADILLAC PRAIRIE “Most state projects are only looking at five
to 30 species. It gives an idea of how much we are able to do here and what
makes this such a great project. We’re able to do a Cadillac job and
show diversity.” — Vern LaGesse, founder and president of the Friends of the
Sangamon Valley [“Prairie wildfire,” Sept. 6]. The Nipper Wildlife Sanctuary, a 120-acre habitat in
Loami featuring more than 150 different plant species, became the center of
controversy this fall when JP Morgan Bank, the administrator of the
property’s trust, moved to rezone five acres into a public park and
construct a visitor center. Area neighbors initially cited safety and
privacy concerns but agreed to a compromise when the trust offered to
reduce the building’s size and to impose stricter limits on the
public’s use of the sanctuary. EMBRACING DIVERSITY“Those women who came over here and welcomed me
will never know how much that meant to me, because that’s what
I’m after — a neighborhood.”— Lisa Reeves, new resident of Eastview
Estates [“Not in my black yard,” Sept. 27]Officials in the Homeowners Association of Eastview
Estates didn’t initially embrace Lisa Reeves. It wasn’t because
she would be the first white head of household in the area nicknamed Black
Panther Creek; it was just that her home was being constructed by Habitat
for Humanity, and association officials feared that it would lower property
values.

PAINT THE TOWN BLUE“I broke my nose last year, pretty much
shattered it, actually. When I was board-checking, attacking a defenseman,
he shot the puck at the zone, and it hit me in the nose. I separated my
shoulder last year, pulled my groin a lot, and had a couple of
concussions.”— Jon Gaffney, 19-year-old Springfield Junior Blues forward
and Brooklyn, N.Y., native [“On the edge,” Oct. 4].Earlier this fall, Jon Gaffney and three other young
hockey players from across the country confirmed that maybe Springfield is
known for more than just Abraham Lincoln and horseshoes. The cover story
spoke to the national reputation and success of the Springfield Junior
Blues — the oldest of 17 teams in the North American Hockey League
and a proven route to Division I scholarships — but the players had
more fun boasting of their “war wounds” and admittedly nutty
pregame rituals. THE RISING COST OF IRAQ“I don’t think we need to get in a debate
over whether Illinois will take care of her veterans, because she will. . .
. It’s a cost that we’ll pay for many, many years, but
it’s a cost people are willing to pay in exchange for what these
people have done for us.” — Maj.
Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
[“Does not compute,” Oct. 18] Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth says that states
will have to bear much of the economic costs associated with war, which has
cost Illinois taxpayers approximately $25 million, according to estimates
of the National Priorities Project. It’s already taking place in
Illinois, which has created or expanded several veterans initiatives,
including a testing program for posttraumatic-stress disorder and
employment and housing programs to meet federal shortfalls. HERE COME DA JUDGE“Heaton, Sanchez and Schmidt have reneged on
their promises, passed the buck, and covered their backsides.” — U.S. District Judge Richard Mills in a letter to
his fellow jurists, explaining his decision to recuse himself from any
cases involving the local U.S. attorney’s office [“Blown
away,” Oct. 25]U.S. District Judge Richard Mills took this action to
protest the way in which his son Danhad been treated by U.S. Attorney Rodger Heaton, former
Assistant U.S. Attorney Esteban Sanchez, and Sangamon County State’s
Attorney John Schmidt. Dan Mills had been an assistant state’s
attorney, assigned to prosecute traffic tickets, when he was implicated in
Springfield’s “big cocaine ring.” Schmidt fired Dan, and
in July 2006 handed his case to the Office of the State’s Attorneys
Appellate Prosecutor. To this day, Dan Mills has not been arrested or
charged with any crime. TOO BIG A BURDEN“I feel good about my job, but everywhere I go,
[black] people are proud of me and I feel like I’m carrying all of
Springfield on the weight of my shoulders! I’m proud of myself and
the oath I took, but I didn’t sign up to carry the black population.
Too much responsibility!!” —
Former Springfield Police officer Tara Holder Borders [“Opt
out,” Nov. 8] TaraBorders, the only black woman hired by SPD since the Renatta
Frazier scandal, kept a journal during her field training. The above quote
is from that journal. Borders resigned abruptly in August 2005 but
didn’t publicly explain the series of incidents that made her quit
until she talked to Illinois Times this year. CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT“I had planned to retire when I turn 40, so it
was, like, now or never. It was like taking it down to the wire.” — Mahogany Knight,
talking about being crowned Miss Gay USofA at Large at the age of 39
[“Mahogany’s night,” Nov. 15] Springfield’s reigning drag queen finally got
the national title she had been chasing for years when she won the Miss Gay
USofA pageant in San Antonio, Texas — a Herculean endeavor that
involved six backup dancers, $20,000 worth of costumes, props, hairspray,
and cosmetics, and a 6-foot-tall feather headdress. UNFUNNY CLOWN “We’ve arrested people in religious
professions for child abuse, and of the people that we have arrested he
certainly did not fit that category. They would always have kids hanging
around them, offering them gifts — that didn’t seem to fit
Paul’s character.”— Tom Conway, retired sergeant with the Springfield
Police Department [“Klutzo’s résumé,” Nov.
15]. A. Paul Carlock, also known as Klutzo the Clown, was
arrested on Oct. 9 after child pornography was found on his computer and in
his home. He was later charged with two counts of enticement of a minor and
with one count of possession of child pornography. The former police
officer, corrections officer, minister, and state employee also once tried
to write for Illinois Times, and we tracked down and interviewed several of Carlock’s
former colleagues, including Conway, who said the allegations seemed
inconsistent with the man they knew. In a bizarre turn of events, Carlock
died of an undiagnosed heart condition on Nov. 16 after being subdued by
jailers.

TV-NEWS BLUES“So many people at Channel 20 who got out of
the business and went to work for the state government doubled their
salary. There is a huge misconception that TV pays well when it really
doesn’t.”— Glenn McEntyre, former WICS (Channel 20) reporter
[“On the cheap,” Nov. 15].In a cover story this fall, Glenn McEntyre joined
other former WICS reporters and anchors who discussed the constraints of
working in television news, from minimal salaries and low budgets to an
increasing demand for quantity over quality. Although several of his former
Springfield colleagues have left the business — either willingly or
unwillingly — McEntyre is still happy at work, reporting the news
from his new home in Cleveland. WHO’S THE BOSS? “Unfunded state mandates are absolutely killing
us. So much of our $97 million budget is not controlled by any of the 11 of
us — it’s controlled by just down the street at Second and
Capitol.” — Mayor Tim Davlin
[“Calm before the storm,” Dec. 6]. The mayor warned aldermen during the City
Council’s annual budgeting process in December that state law is
forcing the city to increase its contributions to police and firefighter
pension funds and said that a future property-tax increase would be needed.
According to the mayor’s estimate, the city of Springfield expects to
fund approximately $31 million in pensions by fiscal year 2017. On Dec. 18,
the council decided to leave the matter of tax hikes for another year. IN ABE’S FOOTSTEPS “If he’s advertising a four-story new
store, how is it possible for him to rent that space to attorneys?” — Justin Blandford, site manager, Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency [“Oops!,” Dec. 13]Proving that there’s always something new about
Springfield’s favorite son, historians discovered that a room on the
third floor of the Tinsley Building, at Sixth and Adams streets — a
state historic site, long believed to be location of the law offices of
William Herndon and Abraham Lincoln — is not really where Lincoln
worked. Now, a team of historical researchers, building experts, and
business and civic leaders is working to make things right in time for
Lincoln’s birthday bicentennial in 2009. Illinois Times stories
are archived and available free at www.illinoistimes.com.